


Collision Course

by Scytinord



Series: DBH AUs [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, As close to fluff as it can get, Fluff and Humor, Gavin trying to be nice, How Do I Tag, M/M, Pre-Relationship, emphasis on "trying"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 08:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scytinord/pseuds/Scytinord
Summary: Gavin Reed is the local tyrant of the fast food joint Chicken Feed. Richard is a desk jockey and a conceited prick. You know where this is going. Human AU set in modern Detroit.





	Collision Course

The sunrise had disappeared beneath a sea of grey clouds, casting shadows over empty streets. Gloomy skies overhead hinted at the possibility of rain. The neighbourhood would had been quiet, if not for the fast food joint located at the side of the road. “Chicken Feed”, the neon signboard proclaimed. A few customers milled around the dingy restaurant, with small groups standing around the metal tables. Their conversation was loud and cheery, a stark contrast to the dreary backdrop of Monday morning. 

Richard sat in the driver’s seat of his car, staring blankly out of the window. He had taken a detour and driven all the way to the outskirts of Detroit for...this. Was the taste of junk food so irresistible? Or was it the “rustic” ambience? His fingers swiped open the message Mr Kamski had sent at 7.31 AM. A glance at his GPS confirmed that he had inputted the right coordinates. This was the place, no matter how erroneous the conclusion seemed. Richard got out of the car. By force of habit, he smoothed out the creases of his suit and adjusted his tie.

The quicker he bought breakfast, the quicker he could be on his way to work, putting this whole questionable affair behind him. 

By the time Richard walked up to the store, the queue had mostly cleared. The last customer was taking her time to arrange the plates on the tray, stealing nervous glances at one of the tables. A date, perhaps. The joint was staffed by two employees, but the one at the counter drew his attention first. Average build. Scruffy. Messy hair. Very casual attire.

“Hey, get the fucking move on!”

Loud and abrasive and alarmingly _rude_. His voice was also unpleasantly familiar. Richard mentally catalogued him under “A for Asshole”. He observed the girl scurry away, before turning his attention back to the task at hand. What was he supposed to order? Richard pondered on this as he inspected the kitchen. The smell of deep-fry oil permeated the air. The place was well-organised and the appliances clean, but appearances could be deceiving. 

Richard still could not understand why his boss sent him here. 

“Hey, you standing there to sightsee or what?” Said the employee. The man glared up at him, body hunched forward and hands flat on the greasy counter. The evident height difference made Richard a little smug. Coming to some realisation, the man straightened, his eyes widening.  “Holy shit. You look exactly like Connor!” He shouted, drawing the attention of his companion. Richard blinked. 

“My brother visits this kind of place?” Richard voiced his incredulity. Maybe the food was indeed good. Or this was a common hangout for the beat cops, however unsavoury the company. The man’s face turned sour. The other employee, a man clad in hipster clothes, googled at him. 

“Dude, I told you Connor had to be some android or sci-fi shit. What-”

“Pedro, shut the fuck up.” The man growled, burying his hands in the pockets of his well worn hoodie, “Yes, Connor and the lieutenant _deign_ to patronise our stall. Come to dine with the commoners, _princess_?” 

Richard was a calm and rational person. But this man’s aggressive, fuck-you attitude was crawling under his skin, dragging up buried anger. His jaw clicked, and he shot back a reply without thinking.

“At least I’m not stuck working in some shitty joint, going absolutely nowhere.” His words must had hit close to home, because the man suddenly lunged forward, both hands slamming on the counter with a resounding bang. Richard instinctively raised his hands to defend himself. Nearby conversations quieted down for a beat, before picking up again.

The other employee (Pedro) placed a hand on the man’s tense shoulders. “Gavin, back down, this fucker don’t know shit.” _Gavin_ ’s whole body was bristling with tension. He levelled a murderous glare at Richard, mouth pulled back in a snarl. Yet, he was visibly restraining himself from attacking Richard. The tension between them was thick, and Richard found himself holding Gavin’s eyes in a silent staring match, his own mouth downturned.

Richard never wanted to punch someone so badly in his life. 

That thought was frightening because Richard never _wanted_ something with such intensity. It didn’t help that he experienced an illogical attraction towards this infuriating man who was probably far below him in intellectual capacity. Pedro was saying something in the background, but Richard paid little attention. The moment between them stretched out for seconds, maybe minutes. Richard felt his lips twitch as he watched the aggression bleed out of Gavin’s frame. His wariness remained. 

“I would like two chicken sandwiches. Takeaway.” Taking pity on him, Richard intervened, his voice pitching up towards the end. Gavin’s eyes finally left his face. Scowling, he glared intensely at the floor. Was Gavin...blushing? The low lighting made it hard to confirm. Pedro just threw his hand into the air and turned to prepare the order. The obnoxious music blaring from the speakers filled the silence between the trio. Once finished, Pedro passed Richard a bag with two individually wrapped sandwiches and handled the bill. Gavin remained silent throughout the exchange.

Breakfast settled, Richard felt a wave of relief wash over him. However, just as he turned to return to his car, Richard felt raindrops on his shoulders. Should he make a run for it? He hesitated, stepping under the awning of the joint. The light drizzle was turning heavier by the minute.

 

* * *

 

What the hell are you doing, Gavin mentally berated himself. 

Gavin knew himself well. His “violent tendencies” had gotten him into deep trouble over the years. He had tried to suppress his anger, but he could only do it for so long, and it made the subsequent blowouts worse. In the end, words became his coping mechanism. Maybe the F&B industry was not the best match for his personality type but hey, his boss had yet to fire him after one year and Gavin largely kept his cool. Then he had to screw it up (slightly) by meeting the biggest dick in town. Who turned out to be Connor’s brother. 

Gavin hated to admit it but the man was painfully attractive. While they shared the same facial features, Connor was more friendly and approachable;On the other hand, His brother intimidated him with his towering height and carefully blank face. The guy looked like a model straight out of NYC Fashion Week, but sadly, his character was utter crap. What a waste of good looks. Gavin would have tried to set Chen up with him otherwise.

Retribution came in the form of rain. Connor’s brother (He could get his name. He could also ask Connor next time.) found himself trapped by the downpour. His face gave no visible cues, but judging by the frantic tapping on his phone, he was likely pressed for time. His eyes darted back and forth between his phone screen and the heavy rain. The man apparently came to a decision as he buttoned up his expensive suit and turned around, striding bravely into the downpour. The guy was getting drenched from head to toe. It was a pathetic sight. 

“I saw him swing by in his car.” commented Pedro from behind him. Gavin raked his hand through his hair, his eyes falling to the umbrella under the counter. He wasn’t feeling sorry for the guy. Was he? 

“Fuck it.” He muttered under his breath. Gavin tugged his hood over his head and grabbed the umbrella at the same time. He then kicked open the door to the stall, letting it bang shut as he ran after the distant figure. 

“Hey!” He shouted. Connor’s brother stopped abruptly and turned around, his face betraying mild surprise. His once-stylised hair was messy and dripping. This gave Gavin ample time to catch up with him and hold the umbrella higher to cover both their heads. “Where’s your car, dipshit?” He asked. The man stared at him uncomprehendingly for a while, before pointing to a Mercedes Benz at the distance. Tugging his arm gently, Gavin started walking towards the car. Connor’s brother took the hint and matched his pace. The walk to the car was a silent affair. When they had reached their destination, the man unlocked and entered the car swiftly and without a word. Gavin stood for a while, but no “thank you” or even acknowledgement was forthcoming. He turned to walk back. When he returned to the stall, the car was gone without a trace.  

“Asshole.” He muttered to himself. He did not know why he expected anything more.

 

* * *

 

It had been a week since the Incident, and Richard had not found a time or reason to return to the joint. The memory should have faded with time, just like other events in his day-to-day life. But that pair of angry brown eyes refused to be erased from his thoughts. What ignited so much emotion in them? Richard would never know.

Richard _wanted_ to know more about Gavin. What Gavin did afterwards was unexpected and illogical. He had done nothing to deserve kindness, let alone from someone he insulted right after making their acquaintance. He found himself replaying the moment when they shared the umbrella. Richard should have voiced his gratitude, but the cold seeping into his bones distracted him from doing so. The moment was almost romantic. 

Richard pushed these thoughts of his head and concentrated on his work. Yet, when his boss had stopped by his cubicle to check on his progress, Richard could no longer hold in his curiosity. 

“Mr Kamski, I did not expect you to...patronise Chicken Feed.” 

“The food is okay. Not that I want another go at it.” answered Kamski, his eyes never leaving the screen. Richard nodded and continued editing the document. Inwardly, he could not help but feel disappointed.

“Also, family can be such a burden at times, don’t you think?” 

His attention absorbed in his work, it took Richard a few seconds for the words to sink into his head, and a full minute to connect the dots.

“Gavin is your _brother?_ ” 

“Half-brother, actually.” Kamski returned him a tight smile. Richard’s question was not intended to cause harm, but he had hit collateral damage. An apology was forming at his lips when Kamski laughed. 

“Do you want his number?”

“I-I’m sorry?” said Richard, keeping his voice even while his heart tried to fly out of his chest. He must not have succeeded because Kamski started laughing even louder. Chloe ambled up to his side, glancing at Richard. Richard shook his head.  

“Nah, you can go ask him yourself. He works on weekdays except Thursday, as far as I know.” Kamski said, voice brimming with mirth, “Chloe, bring along the report please.” With that, he walked off towards his own office. Chloe followed him two steps behind, smiling at him as she passed by. The two of them quickly disappeared from his sight. 

Richard turned to look at his screen. In his moment of discomposure, he had typed “number please” right in the middle of his document. Richard closed his eyes, put his head in his hands and sighed deeply. It was going to be a long day.

 

He _could_ do something tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

**Bonus**

Richard: Connor, where did you put my suit? The one I wear to weddings?

Connor: You’re wearing your best suit to…?

Richard:

Richard: What is an appropriate attire for a meal at a fast food restaurant.

Connor: I’m sorry?

Richard: Answer me.

Connor: T-shirt and shorts? What is going on Richard?

Richard: Okay I’m going bye.

Connor: ??????

Hank: Son, leave him alone. This will be fucking hilarious.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have a bunch of head-cannons on character backstory, and one of them spawned this universe with an entire page of worldbuilding. 
> 
> Feel free to take this AU for a spin. :)


End file.
